Periodontal (Gum) Treatments

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of American adults suffer from some level of gum disease. As the population ages, that number increases to include nearly two-thirds of American adults.

The main cause of gum disease is lack of necessary care, but medications, medical conditions, and loss of dexterity with age can all contribute to the condition.

What Is Periodontal (Gum) Disease?

Periodontal disease is an infection in your gums that leads to inflammation and affects many of your body’s systems. There are many different types or gum disease and Jarrettsville Family Dental can help with them all, from mild gingivitis to full periodontitis. Research links periodontal disease to heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, respiratory illnesses, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

It its earliest stages, known as gingivitis, gum disease symptoms consist of inflammation, bleeding, pain, and bad breath. When caught early, we can often reverse gingivitis with the proper care.

As it progresses into the more serious periodontitis, symptoms expand to include significant bleeding, pus, tooth mobility, periodontal pocketing, recession, bone loss, and tooth loss. At this stage, we can sometimes treat and improve your condition, but periodontal maintenance cleanings will be necessary to keep the infection under control.

How to Treat Periodontal Disease

When you become a patient in our Jarrettsville, MD dental office, we perform a periodontal evaluation to determine the current health of your gums. By measuring the depth of the pockets between your teeth and gums, we can identify problem areas requiring extra attention. We also identify any areas that bleed and take note of gum recession.

Once we have a clear picture of your periodontal health, Dr. David Stern and our hygiene department will create a professional cleaning schedule to support your health.

When we catch gum disease early, we can often restore your health by removing plaque, bacteria, and infection from your teeth and gums. If you have periodontitis, you may benefit from a series of deep cleanings to promote oral health. Once you have gum disease, the chance of reoccurrence is high. Maintaining a regular cleaning schedule will help us take care of your gums and monitor your health.

In some cases, we may need to remove some of the diseased tissue or place local antibiotic treatments to promote healing. Each patient is different and we will make specific recommendations based on your personal needs.

Changing Periodontal Health

Changes in age and hormone levels can affect your oral health. Pregnant women and menopausal women often struggle to keep their gums healthy. Since gum disease can affect your developing child and even cause low-weight birth, maintaining your dental visits during pregnancy is important for both you and your little one.

Our professional Jarrettsville gum disease experts are here to support you throughout the changes in your health. We will adjust your treatment plan to meet your current needs so you can achieve and maintain optimum oral health throughout your lifetime.

Contact Us to Schedule Your Next Dental Cleaning

Even if you have some catching up to do, we look forward to helping you get back on track. Our hygiene team is knowledgeable, skilled, and extremely gentle with our patients and we can help you deal with gum disease, gingivitis and periodontitis. We look forward to supporting your overall health with exceptional dental care.